Some Sussex County residents feel just the opposite and are embracing this season’s frigid temperatures as the perfect opportunity to head outdoors.

“I love the cold weather,” Wantage resident Kevin Ward said while ice fishing Friday on Swartswood Lake. “I was waiting for good ice.”

Ward was not alone. Lakes all over the county have been dotted with ice fishers, sailors and skaters taking advantage of the thickening ice.

“We are blessed with this arctic blast,” said Ed Mackin, president of Lake Hopatcong’s Knee Deep Club.

That blessing is expected to continue for another week. Temperatures will likely not surpass the 32-degree mark until at least next Sunday, when a wintry mix could threaten the Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium.

Whether you call it an arctic blast, a polar vortex or just plain cold, Sussex County has been experiencing some long stretches of below-average temperatures this January.

The average high in January is usually 36 degrees and the average low 17 degrees, but the county is lucky, or not so lucky depending how you look at it, if temperatures get to those averages in the next week.

Temperatures today will reach about 16 degrees. Monday will warm up to 31 degrees, but by nightfall it will be down to just 2 degrees — a pattern that will likely continue for Tuesday and Wednesday when temperatures could dip into the negatives.

Along with this cold weather have come several light snowstorms, the most recent on Saturday when about 2 inches of snow covered an already existing few inches of snow. The light snow started around 10 a.m. Saturday and continued to fall until evening.

Another small snowstorm could add a fresh coating but no significant snow accumulation tonight into Monday, Kines said.

All this is leading up to Super Bowl Sunday next week when all eyes will be on New Jersey. The forecast for next Sunday currently is calling for a wintry mix and snow showers that could threaten the game, but Kines said it shouldn’t be anything major.

“We still think there is a threat for snow showers during the course of Sunday, perhaps into the evening hours,” he said. “At this point in time, it doesn’t look like anything major, but obviously things can change.”

On the ice

These cold temperatures have been the perfect cure for ice fisherman stuck indoors.

Lake Hopatcong had about 7 inches of ice and had dozens of fisherman — traveling upward of 80 miles to reach the lake — in the Great Cove alone. The Great Cove is a popular spot for fishing since it is close to the Dow’s Boat Rental and nearby parking.

“It’s like Christmas morning out there; you never know what you’ll get,” Mackin said about the fish.

Mackin and Lou Marcucci, a trustee of the Knee Deep Club, said Saturday was ideal because temperatures warmed up to the 20s with little wind, making the cold bearable for long stretches of ice fishing on the lake. Both agreed that the best ice fishing days occur when there is a mix of good weather and good companionship.

Ice fishing can be as easy or as complicated as an individual wants.

On 6 inches of ice at Swartswood Lake, Ward caught several fish Friday in a setup that some would consider high tech. Ward, who was fishing alone, uses a fairly new device that acts as a pager to alert him when he has caught a fish.

Ward set up five lines — the maximum allowed under state regulations for ice fishing — in holes he dug in the ice. He then lowered the lines into the water and placed tip ups, or devices that raise a flag when a fish has been caught, on each hole. When the flag goes up, Ward is alerted by the beeping pager he carries in his jacket.

This allowed Ward to return to his heated tent on the ice, where he can sit in front of his sonar detector watching for activity under the ice.

For others, fishing can be as easy as one hole and a jigging rod.

Mackin said that either way, safety is the key. He recommends not going on the ice unless there is at least 3 inches of solid black ice. A spud bar should be used to tap the ice as you walk to determine if it is safe, especially if you are unfamiliar with streams or springs that can impact ice thickness on the lake.

“If the bar doesn’t go through, you won’t go through,” Mackin said.

Mackin also recommends wearing a life jacket, taking a partner or letting someone know you are going out, dressing properly for the cold and carrying ice picks that can be used to claw the ice if you fall in.

With all these safety tips in mind, ice fishing can be a safe winter activity. Mackin says ice fishers are welcome to join the Knee Deep Club, which is a non-profit organization with more than 800 members who are dedicated to preserving and promoting Lake Hopatcong.

Those interested in ice fishing can also participate in the Ice Fishing in February Tournament on Big and Little Swartswood lakes. The tournament is every Sunday in February from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., ice permitting. For more information, visit www.paradisefishingclub.com.